ROUTES OF MIGRATION. 105 



meridian of Calcutta), journey to winter quarters in 

 Africa. Some of these cross valley fly-lines are little 

 short of marvellous. The Great Snipe {Scolopax 

 major) manages partly by their aid to reach 

 Central Siberia from South Africa, its only known 

 winter quarters. The Little Gull [Larus minutus) 

 crosses Siberia from end to end by means of these 

 water-ways, breeding on the shores of the Sea of 

 Ochotsk, and wintering in the Caspian Basin ! 

 That the latter bird must keep to the water en 

 route is imperative owing to its aquatic habits. 

 Other great river routes of migration are the valley 

 of the Amoor, which is principally used by birds 

 travelling between East Siberia and China, Mon- 

 golia and India ; the Hoangho and the Yangtse, 

 which drain Mantchooria and North China^ and 

 feed Burma and India, via the Brahmapootra and 

 Ganges. Mr. F. W. Styan {Ibis, 1890, p. 317) 

 records no less than ninety-seven species of birds 

 which regularly pass along the Yangtse on passage, 

 many on their way to the far north, from the 

 Siamese Peninsula and Burma, many to cross the 

 Yellow Sea and breed in Japan. There appears 

 to be a very considerable stream of migration enter 

 North-east India down the valley of the Brahma- 

 pootra. One very direct instance is furnished by 

 the Pintail Snipe [Scolopax stenura). This bird 

 breeds in East Siberia, and winters in India, Burma, 

 the Siamese Peninsula, and the Malay Archipelago. 

 Its only fly-line into India is apparently down 

 the Brahmapootra Valley, since the bird is quite 



